Sudden Increase After 17 Years

[Jacob83]

Hi, everyone! I've had noise induced tinnitus since I was 16 years old. I grew up blasting loud music through headphones and loved every moment of it I remember when it first became chronic, it took me to the darkests places I've ever experienced. So much despair and depression, I never thought I'd be able to live with it and as someone who has always been prone to anxiety and depression, I never thought I'd make it. But I did. Then I adapted within the first couple years or so and couldn't care less that I had tinnitus I accepted it. It was a part of me and I honestly couldn't care less that I had it and it never bothered me again. I wore it like a badge of pride in someways. Like whenever a friend or coworker would say their ears are ringing, I'd laugh and always chime in that my ears never stop ringing. Reading a lot of threads here, I see a lot of people in that same place as me when it first became chronic and it breaks my heart. I know what that's like and I also know the long future I've had since not caring at all that I had tinnitus. Most years I didn't even remember that I had it and both my ears ring. I love music a lot, and since I do, I've met a lot of other people over the years who have tinnitus. It's not uncommon. I don't know how I adapted, but I did, so hold on.

Anyway, I'm 33 now and I've been dealing with extremely high stress the past month. My parents are going through serious health and financial issues, I've taken on a lot of financial burden myself and my job has been making me crazy! Just soo much stress and worry all day everyday. The highest it's ever been and yesterday I was so upset about so many things that I have no control of and my tinnitus got a lot louder and it freaked me out and it's all I've focused on all day. Normally my tinnitus levels would imcrease and decrease throughout the day, but the past 20 hours it's just stuck on loud and I feel scared of tinnitus all over again and upset at myself that I am. I've been through it before I shouldn't be, but I am.

Anybody have this happen? Like out of nowhere it doubled and got stuck on loud? Did all the stress just break my ears AGAIN? ugh. I've got too much to deal with right now to deal with coping with tinnitus all over again.

 

[Hopeful1]

I dont know for sure..it went up for me when i was stressed it came down in few days.....i took diazepam only 1 tablet..

logically it should come down once your stress levels are down.

Try to relax by doing things you enjoy..

 

[JasonP]

Hi, everyone! I've had noise induced tinnitus since I was 16 years old. I grew up blasting loud music through headphones and loved every moment of it I remember when it first became chronic, it took me to the darkests places I've ever experienced. So much despair and depression, I never thought I'd be able to live with it and as someone who has always been prone to anxiety and depression, I never thought I'd make it. But I did. Then I adapted within the first couple years or so and couldn't care less that I had tinnitus I accepted it. It was a part of me and I honestly couldn't care less that I had it and it never bothered me again. I wore it like a badge of pride in someways. Like whenever a friend or coworker would say their ears are ringing, I'd laugh and always chime in that my ears never stop ringing. Reading a lot of threads here, I see a lot of people in that same place as me when it first became chronic and it breaks my heart. I know what that's like and I also know the long future I've had since not caring at all that I had tinnitus. Most years I didn't even remember that I had it and both my ears ring. I love music a lot, and since I do, I've met a lot of other people over the years who have tinnitus. It's not uncommon. I don't know how I adapted, but I did, so hold on.

Anyway, I'm 33 now and I've been dealing with extremely high stress the past month. My parents are going through serious health and financial issues, I've taken on a lot of financial burden myself and my job has been making me crazy! Just soo much stress and worry all day everyday. The highest it's ever been and yesterday I was so upset about so many things that I have no control of and my tinnitus got a lot louder and it freaked me out and it's all I've focused on all day. Normally my tinnitus levels would imcrease and decrease throughout the day, but the past 20 hours it's just stuck on loud and I feel scared of tinnitus all over again and upset at myself that I am. I've been through it before I shouldn't be, but I am.

Anybody have this happen? Like out of nowhere it doubled and got stuck on loud? Did all the stress just break my ears AGAIN? ugh. I've got too much to deal with right now to deal with coping with tinnitus all over again.

I definitely do not recommend this long term but can you take a Xanax tablet and see if that calms your T down and lowers your stress? This can't be done long term but in a pinch it isn't so bad. DO NOT USE THIS LONG TERM. VERY, VERY BAD thing to do.

https://www.drugs.com/condition/tinnitus.html

 

[nimx]

"Don't worry" Jacob, tinnitus is strongly related to stress and related issues (anxiety-mood), emotional stressors have the same effect on acoustic brain areas just as acoustic stress (mind that I said on "acoustic brain areas", not on ears, so no, your hearing won't be damaged). As someone else replied, once stress levels will lower, your tinnitus will lower. Try to use this period as a way to learn to cope better with stress, and support your nervous system to avoid damage (do it by a healthy lifestyle, and with some exercise, of course if you could meditate this would be the best way to regulate your nervous system - and train it to be more resilient and healthy-, which is actually disregulated).

 

[Jacob83]

thank you all for the replies i appreciate it. i don't think i'll be able to get any short term meds, but meditation is something I need to learn. i'm the worst at stress management... i just make myself exhausted until i burn out

 

[OnceUponaTime]

I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Jean-Philippe]

@Jacob83

You said you couldn't care less about your tinnitus for 17 years. Did you protect your hearing when exposed to loud noise? (ear plugs or muffs).

 

[Jacob83]

thank you, onceaponatime.

Jean-Philippee, yes and no. I had to remind myself to do it many times, otherwise I wouldn't have. I don't go to music shows anymore pretty much for that reason. If I didn't wear ear plugs, I felt really stupid and spent most of the time outside, and the times I wore earplugs I thought my ears felt worse from them. It's just not worth it. Last time I went to a show, I spent the whole time outside the venue talking with other people while bands played.